Baby Time-SEAL in Love Continuation
by Foxy527
Summary: This is a continuation of my stories called "Glorified Babysitter" (Part 1) and "SEAL in Love" (Part 2). In this one, we'll get to meet the McGarrett babies and see how Steve and Shauni handle the labor and life as parents of twins. Hope you enjoy!
1. Chapter 1

**I'm back…..FINALLY! Sorry for the long, dry spell. I've missed Shauni and Steve so I decided to pick up a few months from where we left off in "SEAL in Love" so we can meet the McGarrett twins (and see how Daddy Steve is going to handle seeing Shauni go through labor.  
Also, since this is "my story" and I can have any characters I want (smile), I'm sticking with the original Ohana and maybe adding one or two of the "new characters" from Season 8.**

 **Hope you enjoy. Chapter 2 will come soon! Please share your thoughts and reviews.  
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Junior Reigns showed up at the door first thing in the morning completely taking Steve by surprise. Shauni had never seen her husband so sorry to say, "I'm sorry but I can't help you," when the young Marine had asked for a job with the Five-0 Task Force. She knew it had been weighing heavily on his mind, so seeing Junior at the front door the following morning was unexpected.

After exchanging greetings and Steve asking what he could do for the young man, she came up behind her husband and rubbed her hand up and down his back as she looked at "Junior".

"I'm making breakfast," she said. "Would you like to come in?"

He looked at Steve as if looking for confirmation. Steve gave him a half-hearted smirk and shrugged, "Come on in. Have breakfast with us."

As he walked into the house, Shauni heard her husband say under his breath, "Forgive her. She's 'nesting'…"

Junior cast a glance at Commander McGarrett's very well known wife and couldn't help but notice how far along she was in her pregnancy.

At Steve's remark, she stopped in her tracks to turn around and give her husband an adorable pout. "Hush…I can't help it. Blame it on the babies."

Steve leaned down to give her a quick kiss, "I'm just teasing." Shauni went into the kitchen to get coffee and juice while Steve led the young Marine to the table.

"I don't want to impose, Sir," he said.

Steve shook his head. "It's no problem. Really. She's probably made enough to feed an army, so it will be good to have someone here to help me eat it. I think I've gained 15 pounds during this pregnancy."

Junior laughed but then his eyes widened when he saw the table with a breakfast casserole, pancakes, biscuits, assorted fruit and sweet rolls.

At the expression on Junior's face, Steve chuckled. "See what I mean?"

The threesome enjoyed breakfast together while Steve learned more about Reigns….and Reigns wondered of his luck at having breakfast with them and getting to know them better. Though he would never admit it to the Commander, he'd always been a big fan of Shauni Steele's. To his surprise, she was the perfect hostess….Completely down to Earth and unpretentious…..It was easy to see how the Commander had fallen in love with her. It was also funny to see "in person" how this sweet lady had been able to seemingly "calm the wild beast" that Commander McGarrett was known to be.

Not that he would EVER utter those words out loud. He was absolutely certain Steve McGarrett could still kick the ass of ANYONE who needed it…but with his wife, he was softer…..gentler…and just a little more "real".

They said their goodbyes when breakfast was finished, but not before Shauni had given him several containers of "leftovers" to take with him. He was grateful. The woman was an incredible cook and he was certain to enjoy every bite. After all, anything beat take-out every night of the week.

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 _ **3 hours later…..**_

Shauni walked into the Five-0 offices with a basket in tow.

Actually, it wasn't a "walk" so much as a "waddle", but being 8 months pregnant, she looked adorable all the same.

Lou saw her immediately and came over to take the basket.

"Hey, little Momma. What are you doing here? And WHY did you carry this up without asking for help?" He gently scolded.

She had to grin at his protective tone…..The entire team had been super protective of her the further she'd gotten along in her pregnancy. But she wasn't going to give an inch.

She reached to give him a hug and stood on her tiptoes to kiss his cheek. "We've talked about this before, Lou. No coddling…..I'm pregnant not helpless!"

His eyebrows shot up, "Okay…but what's McGarrett gonna say about this? He won't be happy about you carrying all this up by yourself."

Shauni rolled her eyes good-naturedly, "You should know by now I can handle my husband."

He winked at her, "Yes, you can!...SO, what did you bring?"

Shauni couldn't help but laugh. Since going into her third trimester, it had become a normal routine for her to make way too much food and bring many of the leftovers to their Ohana who worked such long days. Just as she'd put the basket on the table to take out the contents, Steve came out of his office with Danny close behind.

"How's my beautiful wife and my babies?" he asked with a smile as he put his arms around her from behind to cradle her belly.

She turned around to give him a quick kiss, "I brought lunch…and snacks…and a bunch of other stuff."

Danny patted his stomach, "Seriously, babe…Ya gotta have those babies before all of us are too big to chase anyone down!" His smile was teasing but full of adoration.

Steve opened his mouth to say something in retort, but Shauni took in a sharp breath and put her hand underneath her stomach. Steve immediately took her forearm into his hand with concern etched all over his face.

"What's wrong? Everything okay?"

She took a couple of calming breaths before smiling at him, "Yeah…..I'm fine…..Just those darn Braxton Hicks contractions. It's fine."

"Renee had those, too," Lou said as if to ease the fear he saw on Steve's face. "Especially with Will. She had them for at least two months before he was born. I was a nervous wreck every damn time one would hit her."

Everyone seemed to relax as they began to help Shauni get the rest of the food out.

But then, another contraction hit and it seemed to be stronger than before. She grabbed her stomach again as if trying to ease the cramp by holding on.

"You need to sit down," Steve said.

"I'm fine," she said even though she wasn't convincing to anyone.

"That wasn't a suggestion, babe." Steve's voice was hard and demanding leaving no room for argument. Shauni knew, just like the rest of them, she wasn't going to win this one.

"Okay, fine. I'll sit down for a minute." She answered even as Steve was already leading her towards his office. He promptly helped her onto the couch while Danny got some pillows from somewhere to put under her feet and behind her back.

At her quizzical look, he just shrugged. "We're ready for anything. What can I say? Blame it on your OCD husband. Do you need a blanket?"

Steve rolled his eyes and Shauni chuckled. Seconds later, Kono came in with a glass of water. Shauni took a sip gratefully before starting to feel smothered by all the attention and everyone's presence around her.

"No I don't need a blanket!" she snapped a little too harshly before sighing, "Seriously, guys…Go have some lunch. I brought a ton of food and it needs to be eaten."

When Steve gave her a doubtful look, she gave him her sweetest, most innocent smile, "I promise to stay right here like a good girl, Commander. Now go….Eat!"

Everyone reluctantly left Steve's office to go back out and see what Shauni had packed for them that day. The woman could cook, no doubt about it….and after a very busy morning, they were all hungry.

They all filled plates with food and moved to a conference table so they could eat together. They were right in the middle of laughing at a joke…

"Steve?'….

No one replied as the joke went on. Then Shauni said it a little louder, "Ummmmmm, Steve…..honey…"

Conversation stopped as Steve heard his wife's voice and turned towards his office door. Shauni was standing in the doorway with one hand on the doorframe and the other under her stomach. "Ummmmm…..I'm pretty sure my water just broke."

There was a stunned silence for a few seconds before everyone jumped into action.

Steve was the first to jump up and run to Shauni, "Are you sure?!"

"Either my water broke or I just peed all over the floor," Shauni chuckled and then another pain hit her and stopped the laugh at once. Holding on to her stomach, she started trying to breathe through it.

Steve felt his heart sink, "But it's early…..It's like three weeks early. It can't be time yet."

"One thing you're going to learn quickly is that babies don't follow schedules, my friend," Danny quipped.

For the first time since they had known him, Steve seemed completely in shock and clueless as to what to do. It was both endearing and comical to watch. Thankfully, his wife seemed to be thinking clearly.

"Call the doctor, babe. Tell him I'm in labor and see what he says."

"To hell with that," Steve said. "We're calling an ambulance."

"NO!", Shauni pleaded. "You call an ambulance and we'll be met with a sea of reporters as soon as we get there. Please, honey….No ambulance. You can take me."

"Okay fine, but we're going straight there and I'll call the doctor on the way." He seemed to get a semblance of control back as he started barking out orders, "Kono, I need you to go to the house and get her bag. It's upstairs in our room right by the door."

"Got it, Boss," Kono said before grabbing her keys and heading towards the McGarrett house. Before leaving, though, she gave Shauni a big hug, "Good luck, sistah. I'll be there as soon as I can!"

"Lou, can you call Derek and Olivia and let them know what's going on? They can meet us there. And Danny…"

Shauni let out a hiss of pain as another contraction hit her. Danny looked at his watch, "That one took about 5 minutes. They're coming pretty close together so we need to move. I'll get the car and meet you guys out front."

"We'll take my truck," Steve said.

"No offense, but you aren't thinking clearly. First of all, there's no way in hell I'm letting you drive your wife…..who is in _**labor**_ ….to the hospital. And second, you don't seriously expect her to climb into that truck while she's doing so, now do you?"

Steve was silent for a minute. "You have a point. Okay…..get the car and I'll meet you out front."

Steve put his arm around Shauni for support as they started to make their way outside. Before they reached the elevator that would take them down to the first floor, another contraction hit her. It was so strong, it took her down to the floor until she could get her breath back. Steve looked panicked and Shauni felt sorry for him even as she tried to focus on the task at hand. To be such a big, bad 'warrior' and someone who was used to being in control, he was completely out of his element.

As the contraction eased, she put a hand to his cheek and smiled, "It's going to be okay. We're ready for this, right?"

Steve's eyes were wide with concern, but he didn't want to let her down or let her know how terrified he was in this moment. "Right."

"Not very convincing, Commander," she teased. "We're going to see our babies soon!" Shauni couldn't hide the excitement in her voice before growing serious again, "But I need to know that you're with me. I can't do this by myself."

Steve swallowed the lump in his throat. She was right…..Time for him to man-up and stop acting like an idiot. His face softened as he leaned down to kiss her. "I'm right here, baby. I'm not going anywhere…I'm going to be right there with you when our babies get here."

Shauni felt her heart melt when he smiled at her. Dear God, how she loved this man.

Steve helped her back to her feet and was relieved when they made it outside to Danny's car before another contraction hit. He opened the door and got into the backseat so Shauni could sit up front where there was more room.

"I already called the doctor. He's going to meet us there." Danny told them.

"Thanks, buddy. Now turn on the lights and get us there as soon as you can. Run every light if you have to."

"You got it!"

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 _ **Next chapter, we'll meet the McGarrett babies. FINALLY! How do you think Steve is going to handle the process?**_


	2. Chapter 2

**I'm so excited to meet the McGarrett twins! Something tells me it's going to be a beautiful moment when Steve sees their babies! So let's go….**  
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Shauni and Steve were taken into Labor and Delivery immediately upon arriving at the hospital. They hooked her up to a baby monitor as well as another one machine to monitor her contractions. It wasn't long before Dr. Barrett met them to examine Shauni.

"Everything looks good," he said. "You're dilated to 5 and about 60% effaced. Contractions are still about 5 minutes apart, but if you opt for an epidural soon, that could slow things down. I'll be back in a little while to check on you and see how things are going. In the meantime, just let Jessica know if you need anything." He said motioning to the nurse who'd been assigned to her.

Steve looked panicked once again, "Wait! You're _**leaving**_?"

Dr. Barrett gave him a fatherly smile. "It's fine, Commander. Everything looks great and your babies are doing very well right now, " he said as he pointed at the monitor, "Shauni's body is doing what it needs to do to bring them to us….but it isn't time yet. It could be a few more hours, but I promise I'm just a call away if anything happens before I get back in the next half hour. Just try to relax. We'll get there, but it could take a while."

Steve offered him a half-hearted smile as he fought the urge to strangle him. _How could he be so calm?_ As he felt his blood pressure rising, he suddenly felt Shauni's hand on his arm and looked down to see her smiling at him. He couldn't help but notice how radiant and completely calm she looked. She was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen, and he was incredibly proud of her even though he was dreading the next few hours.

"Why don't you go to the waiting room and let everyone know what's going on?" she told him hoping to give him a brief distraction.

Steve looked hesitant.

She squeezed his hand again, "I'm fine, baby. And I'm sure Momma is about to break down the door wondering what's going on. Probably DANNY too," she giggled and Steve smiled. "Go tell them we're good….and the babies are good. Then come back to me. I promise you I'm fine right now. Okay?"

"Actually, if anyone wants to visit, now would be a good time to do so," Dr Barrett interjected. "Once we get closer to delivery, we'll only have those you've chosen to be in here with you."

Shauni and Steve had chosen beforehand to let Olivia and Sasha to be in the room when the babies were born. (Derek was afraid he wouldn't be able to handle the sight of his daughter in pain, so he'd opted out). In the meantime, they would let everyone else come in to visit until the time drew near.

Steve leaned down to kiss her. "I'll be right back."

"I love you," she said.

"I love you, too."

Within minutes he came back into the room with her parents, Sasha, and Danny close behind. Olivia fretted over her daughter like any mother would and Derek already looked like a proud grandfather as they waited for the birth of their first grandchildren. Sasha had her phone out taking pictures of the "mom to be" and everyone else in the room in order to commemorate the event. As the hours passed, the rest of the Ohana came to the hospital and took turns visiting with Shauni and tried to keep Steve calm.

The afternoon quickly passed into evening with things seeming to move at a snail's pace. Dr. Barrett had informed them that the epidural Shauni had been given would certainly make the delivery of twins easier, but it could also slow things down for a while. Steve was happy she was no longer in so much pain, but the wait was tough.

The doctor came in for one of his routine checks around 9 p.m., so everyone left the room. Shauni had been in labor for almost 9 hours and they were all hoping it wouldn't be much longer. Steve came in to the waiting room a few minutes later with a smile on his face, "Dr. Barrett says it's time…..so Olivia and Sasha, come back in with me. Hopefully they'll be here soon."

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"Okay, Shauni, when the next contraction comes, I need you to take a deep breath and push for a count of 10. Got it?"

She nodded nervously as the doctor watched her contraction monitor. Steve took her hand and gave it an encouraging squeeze as he winked at her.

"Okay, here we go….PUSH, PUSH, PUSH!" When the doctor had counted to ten, she let out a breath and he smiled up at her. "That was great. It won't be long before we're going to do it again."

After a few more contractions, Dr. Barrett said, "I see a head. We're almost there with Baby #1." He looked at Steve and smiled, "Dad, if you want to watch your babies come into the world, come stand by me."

Steve looked questioningly at Shauni who shook her head in agreement. He reluctantly let go of her hand as Olivia took his place at Shauni's side and grabbed her hand while Steve moved to the foot of the bed.

Dr. Barrett instructed again, "Okay, honey, when I say 'go', I need you to push as _ **hard**_ as you can so we can get this baby out. Ready?"

"Yes," she said breathlessly as she squeezed her mom's hand for support.

"PUSH, PUSH, PUSH!" the doctor said.

Shauni pushed and let out a scream. She felt a "release" before hearing Steve say, "Oh my God." His face was full of wonder.

Dr. Barrett was smiling. "The head is out," he confirmed. "One more push and we'll have your first baby out, Shauni."

Shauni felt it happen and suddenly wanted to cry with joy. One of their babies was finally here.

"It's your boy!" the doctor said. He did a quick clean up before placing the baby on Shauni's chest. Even though the baby was still a mess, she knew in that moment she'd never seen anything so beautiful. After a little coaxing, Steve cut the umbilical cord and a nurse took the baby to clean him up and get the necessary vital birth information.

"It won't be much longer before we'll have your baby girl. Are you ready?"

"Yes," Shauni and Steve both said through her tears.

Within minutes, their baby girl was born and they followed the same process. Steve and Sasha went over to the little beds where the babies were being tended to. After a few stunned moments, Steve walked back over to his wife with tears in his eyes. Seeing her "macho man" crying happy tears caused her tears to return. He leaned down to give her a slow gentle kiss….not caring who was in the room to watch.

"They're so _**beautiful**_ , baby. Just _**perfect**_. Damn, I'm so proud of you!" Steve told her.

"They have all their fingers and toes?" Shauni asked breathlessly.

Steve kissed her again. "Yes…..they have ALL their fingers and toes…and the most beautiful heads of brown hair you have ever seen. You are amazing!"

"You did some of the work too, ya know."

"Yeah, but I had the fun part," Steve winked at her. "What you did just now….It was….." his voice choked. "It was amazing. You are incredible…..and I am completely in awe of you."

Shauni's heart swelled at his admission and even thought she had a million and one reasons to love him, now she had one more.

Just as she'd instinctively known, Steve McGarrett was going to be an incredible Daddy.

"Want to meet your babies, Mr. and Mrs. McGarrett?" their Nurse, Jessica, asked.

Steve turned to see her holding both babies. He took their little girl and handed her to Shauni while he took their son. After a few minutes, they switched…..both completely in love as they cuddled and inspected their sweet bundles of joy.

Another nurse came in to the room. "Sorry to bother you, but your family is wondering about the babies…..Would someone like to give them an update?" she asked with a smile.

"Can we take them out with us?" Steve asked her. When she affirmed that they could do so, Steve looked at Olivia, "If you take one, I'll take the other. Let's go show everyone our babies." Then, on second thought, he looked at his wife. "Are you okay with that, honey?"

She looked exhausted but happy. "Please…Go show them the newest members of our Ohana."

"Can I share their names?" Steve asked. He and Shauni had decided on names but hadn't shared with anyone wanting to wait until the babies were here.

"Of course," she answered.

Steve kept a gentle hold on his baby girl while Olivia moved around to pick up her grandson. Sasha continued to snap pictures trying to capture every moment of this monumental event in their lives.

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As Steve, Olivia and Sasha walked in to the waiting room where the family was waiting, everyone seemed to stand up at once as soon as they saw the babies.

Over the hours of waiting, Renee had joined them as well as Flippa, Nahale, Grace and Charlie, and Duke and his wife, so the waiting room was FULL.

Steve walked into the room with a smile bigger than any of them had ever seen…Well, except for the day he'd married Shauni.

"So this is our baby girl," he said as he looked as his daughter adoringly…..and Danny knew within that moment his partner was a goner for his baby girl. After all, he'd already warned Steve how daughters had a way of wrapping themselves around their daddy's finger at first glance.

"Her name is Savannah Joy," Steve informed them and everyone sighed.

Olivia got tears in her eyes once again realizing they had named her after her hometown of Savannah, Georgia.

Then Steve looked towards the baby in Olivia's arms. "And this handsome little guy is Steven John McGarrett, Jr."

Everyone was "oohing" and "aaahing" over the babies when Mary Ann and Joannie walked in.

"Oh my gosh! Did I miss it?! We got here as soon as we could!"

Steve walked over to his sister with Savannah Joy in his arms. "It's okay, Mar. You're here for the best part." He shared the names with Mary Ann and Joannie again and knelt down so Joannie could see her little cousin. The little girl clapped her hands and jumped up and down in delight. After all, she'd been excited for months at the prospect of having cousins at her Uncle and Auntie's house.

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 **This chapter is a little shorter, but we're at a good stopping point. We'll pick up from here when Shauni and Steve go home and start to adjust to life with the babies.**

 **Let me know your thoughts.**


	3. Chapter 3

The members of their Ohana took turns adoring the babies. Derek took Baby Savannah from Steve to give her some "Grandpa Love" while Steve took his boy from Olivia to hold him for a while too. The joy in the room was palpable and everyone was fixated on the change they were seeing in Steve. Yes, he'd always been wonderful with children…..Especially Gracie and Charlie…..but having his own children had brought on a new vulnerability few had seen before.

Except perhaps for Mary.

As she watched her brother with his babies, she said a silent prayer of thanks to God for bringing so much love in to her big brother's life. She had hoped for this kind of happiness for Steve for a long time. Now, it had finally happened and she couldn't be happier for him.

It wasn't long before baby Steven started to get fussy and turn his face towards his Daddy's chest. Steve shot Olivia a confused look and she chuckled. She was also the first to notice the fatigue in Steve's eyes, so as he held on to baby Steven and tried to calm him down, she walked over.

"Honey, you're doing great," she assured him. "I would guess that Steven's just hungry….and Savannah won't be far behind him. Let's take them back into the room and let you and Shauni be alone for a while. She can try to feed them and you can share your first time together as a family."

Steve's eyes widened. "You're right….I'm sure they're hungry! I didn't even think of that."

Derek saw the worry on Steve's face and gave him a reassuring pat on the shoulder, "They've only been born for about 20 minutes, son, so I think you're okay. BUT….it might be a good idea to get them back to their Momma so she can feed them. Besides, I agree with Olivia in that the four of you need some time alone together."

Derek carried Savannah while Steve carried his son back in to the room. The doctor had finished with Shauni and shot Steve a look of understanding as they walked in.

"Babies are getting hungry, right?"

Steve smirked as he looked down at his son, "Well, HE is…..and from what I hear, his little sister won't be far behind."

The nurse stepped forward to take Steven from his Daddy's arms before looking towards Shauni. She looked exhausted….but happy as well.

"Are you ready?" Nurse Jessica asked.

Shauni just shook her head and reached out her arms towards her son. They inclined the bed so that she could be in a more comfortable position as Jessica showed her how to help the baby latch on.

"So we'll keep Steven on this side for a few minutes…and then we'll put Savannah on the other. Take it slow at first. Babies don't need a lot early on. Once your milk comes in, you'll be more comfortable and know what to do."

Steve looked alarmed. "What do you mean? She doesn't have breast milk yet?"

Jessica smiled at him. It was a typical question for a first- time dad.

"Shauni has what is called _colostrum_ right now. That's all the babies need. The important thing is to get them use to latching on and getting nourishment from her. Her regular breast milk comes in a few days when the babies are ready for it. Mother Nature is pretty awesome that way."

Steve didn't look convinced, but had no choice but to trust her. After all, what did he know about breastfeeding babies?

Baby Steven latched on immediately and Steve watched his wife completely in awe of her strength. She had just given birth to two babies and was now feeding their son. She was a natural.

He'd never felt prouder of anyone in his life. When she looked up at him and smiled, she noticed tears in his eyes.

"What's wrong, babe?"

"Nothing," Steve choked out. "I was just thinking about how amazing you are. They are _perfect_ …Absolutely perfect." He leaned down to kiss her and each of his babies before sitting down in the chair beside her.

Shauni took turns holding and nursing both babies and began to nod off sleepily while holding Savannah. Jessica noticed Steve doing the same thing, so she settled both babies into their bassinette's before getting a blanket for Steve and dimming the lights to leave them all alone. One thing the new parents would learn quickly was how important sleep would become in the next weeks and months; Especially with twins.

 **(Three Weeks Later….)**

The McGarrett's easily settled into their new routine after getting the babies home. Shauni would feed them and Steve would change their diapers since he insisted on being as involved as possible. They both helped with baths….and Steve helped every night when one of the babies would awaken wanting to eat. (Steve marveled at not only how much babies could eat…..but at how equipped God had made his wife to nourish two babies at the same time)

Danny and the rest of the team watched in amusement and admiration as Steve transformed into the stereotypical proud father showing them all new pictures every morning or regaling them with stories of something that had happened the night before. He still had his "edge", but it was a noticeably more relaxed McGarrett who came into HQ every morning. He didn't even complain about the lack of sleep. Being a former Navy SEAL, he had long ago grown accustomed to operating on little sleep.

( **Early morning….** )

Steve awakened to the sound of a baby crying. He opened his eyes to see Shauni wasn't in bed, so he made his way to the nursery where he found her in the recliner with a sleeping Steven up against her breast.

Obviously, their son had needed another feeding and his momma had fallen asleep while holding him.

Savannah wasn't the least bit happy about the neglect, so Steve made his way over to her and began to talk softly.

"Shhhh…..shhhhh…It's okay, baby girl. Daddy's here."

He took her into his arms and she immediately quieted even though she was trying to "root". Steve kissed her sweet little head. "Sorry, princess…but that can only come from Mommy." He began to walk over to the recliner where Steven and Shauni were sleeping.

"Let's get your greedy brother out of the way so you can eat too. Okay?" he whispered to his fussy baby girl.

Steve maneuvered the babies so that he was holding Steven and handing Savannah to Shauni who began to stir.

She sat up straight in dismay, "Oh my gosh…..I fell asleep!" She took hungry little Savannah from her daddy. "I'm sorry."

Steve gave her a soft smile. "Seriously? No apologies from you. You are feeding TWO babies…like a champ, might I add. Savannah is fine…and I'll put Steven back in bed now that his belly is full."

Shauni smiled at her husband. "You're spoiling her, you know."

"What do you mean?"

"Every time she cries, her Daddy comes running." Shauni said.

Steve just smiled and shook his head in agreement. "As it should be."

Shauni's heart swelled with love for her man. "I couldn't agree more."

Steve put his sleeping son into the crib before walking over to lean down and kiss his wife.

"You're a great momma," he said.

"And you're a great Daddy," she agreed.

With Steven sleeping peacefully in his bed and Shauni comfortable in the recliner with Savannah, Steve covered them all up before heading back to bed himself.

He walked into the bedroom to find their dog, Captain, staring at him.

"I know, buddy," he said. "These late night interruptions aren't easy….But we'll get used to it. Right?"

Cappy gave out a little grunt before lowering his head back to the floor and letting out a sigh. Steve couldn't help but chuckle as he crawled back into bed.

 **(A few hours later…)**

Steve was awakened by the sound of Captain's low, menacing growl. He propped himself up on an elbow. "What is it, Cap?"

The dog answered by giving out a quiet bark and another growl as he kept his eyes trained towards the door leading out to the deck outside Steve and Shauni's bedroom. The dog's reaction put in full alert mode.

"Do you hear something, boy?" He asked as he got up and grabbed his gun from the bedside table. They'd had some problems with paparazzi since before the babies were born, but those intrusions were usually during the day. Since it was 4 a.m., Steve was concerned about what…..or _**who**_ ….may be lurking outside at that hour .

He got out of bed and rubbed Captain's head. "Okay, let's go check it out. But be quiet so we don't wake Momma or the babies. Got it?"

Cappy waved his tail as if in understanding and began following Steve downstairs.

Steve moved methodically through the house with Captain at his side. Once they reached the dining room, Cappy broke away and walked slowly towards the doors leading out to the lanai as he continued to growl. His ears were perked up and the stance he was taking told Steve something was amiss. He followed his dog to the doors and looked outside. Steve had installed motion lights outside that were activated as soon as anything crossed an invisible barrier. Those were not on, but Steve did sense movement to his left. Cappy saw it at the same time and barked.

"I see it, buddy. Let's go."

Keeping his gun drawn with Captain at his side, the two moved outside to investigate further. When Steve saw movement again, he ran towards it but had no luck seeing the intruder. Looking around the area where the person had been hiding, Steve noticed an envelope on the ground. He picked it up before making his way back inside with Cappy. The dog kept his eyes on the door and his body in a rigid "attack mode" as Steve opened the envelope.

What he saw made his blood run cold:

 _"I'm back for you, my darling. Back for you and our babies. I have missed you…..but you will have to pay for what you've done to me. I will see you soon. -Carl."_

"Dammit!" Steve muttered.

How could Carl Matthews possibly be OUT? He was supposed to be in a maximum security psychiatric ward in Colorado. If he had escaped, they had not been notified. Was this a copycat or was Carl truly running free?

One thing Steve knew for sure was that Shauni couldn't find out until he had a chance to investigate and see what was going on.

"Stay here, boy. You watch the outside for me while I make a phone call, okay?"

Strange as it may seem, Captain understood his master. He sat down on his haunches and looked outside. Steve rubbed his ears affectionately. "Good boy!"

Steve found his phone and made a call to Jerry. Since it was very early morning, Jerry answered with a sleepy greeting.

"Jerry, it's Steve. Sorry to bother you so early."

"It's ok, Commander. Everything okay?"

"I don't know….I need your help."

"You got it. What do you need?"

"I need for you to work your magic…Tell me if Carl Matthews has somehow made it out of the facility he was supposed to be in."

Steve heard rustling on the line which was a sign that Jerry was getting up and fully alert himself. When he spoke again, his voice was much more "awake" .

"What makes you think he's out?!"

"Cappy woke me up to a disturbance outside. We saw some movement but didn't see anyone. I found a note though: It was addressed to Shauni and signed by him. I need to know anything you can find out."

"I'm turning on my laptop now. I'll call you back ASAP."

"Thanks, buddy. I'll be waiting."

Steve decided against calling the rest of the team or waking Shauni. It would be best to find out what was going on first and then calling in the "troops" if necessary later.


	4. Chapter 4

Steve's phone rang within minutes as Jerry's name popped up on the Caller ID.

"Jerry, what did you find out?"

"Bad news, Commander. It seems Carl Matthews somehow walked out of his facility two days ago completely undetected."

"What the hell?" Steve said as he tried to keep his voice quiet. "How does that happen without anyone noticing?!"

"I don't know…..but from what I could gather, they think he may've acquired a security badge before somehow finding scrubs and pose as a staff member. "

Steve's palm ran down his face in frustration. "So you're telling me he was able to get by all security checks because he got someone's badge and a uniform?"

"They won't say for sure, but that seems to be what happened."

"Son of a bitch!" Steve spat. "And then what? They let it go without letting anyone know? I mean they know what a security risk he is!"

"I know, Steve…..and I brought all of this up to the Director. The only thing she would tell me was that they notified the FBI and were assured it would be handled from there."

"Well, someone definitely dropped the ball. Do me a favor and call everyone in to HQ. I'm going to get someone here to stay with Shauni and I'll meet all of you there. We need to find him ASAP."

"Agreed," Jerry said. "I'm on it. You take care of her and the babies and we'll meet you here whenever you get in."

*****************h50*********************h50******************h50

After a brief conversation with Kamekona about what was going on, Kame agreed to come over to stay with Shauni and act as a stand in "bodyguard" until Steve could figure out what was going on. Steve had already dispatched HPD to get a unit watching the house and, Nahale would come over later if needed.

With Cappy at his heels, Steve walked upstairs to awaken his wife and give her the bad news. Shauni was understandably upset at the news of Carl leaving the facility. Steve also saw the fear in her eyes as she remembered what had happened during their last encounter with Carl, so he knelt down in front of her and put his hands on her thighs.

"I'm not going to let anything happen to you or our babies. Okay? I'm calling everyone in to the office and we'll figure it out."

Shauni shook her head.

"In the meantime, Kamekona's coming to stay with you until I can get back."

"That's not necessary," Shauni protested. "With the security system you've set up and Cappy here with me, we'll be fine."

Steve leaned up to give his wife a quick kiss. "Not arguing about it, sweetie. This is how it's gonna be. Kame's on his way now."

Steve left a slightly disgruntled Shauni at home with Kamekona and Cappy before making his way to the office. This was one time he wasn't going to budge; She could stay at their house with "protection" OR go to her parent's house. Those were her only choices.

She reluctantly gave in and said she would stay at home with Kamekona and Nahale rather than going to her parent's house simply because all of the babies' supplies were at their house and it would be too much of a hassle to pack things up to leave.

************H50*******************H50********************H50

Steve walked into HQ with a familiar look of resolve on his face.

"Okay, so what do we have?" he asked his team.

The expressions on the faces of Danny, Chin and Lou were concerning, but Steve tried to remain positive.

Danny sighed. "I hate to tell you this…but Carl Matthews is off the grid."

"Danny's right. Not only is he _**out, but**_ no one knows where he is right now." Jerry confirmed. "We just got confirmation from the local FBI field office today that he walked out two days ago…Undetected. They didn't realize it until they checked beds and saw he was gone."

The muscles on the side of Steve's jaws twitched which was a sure sign of how pissed he was even though he was trying to maintain control.

"So it's just like you said? He got someone's security badge and uniform and literally walked out of a maximum security mental hospital without anyone knowing about it until hours later?!" His voice got louder with each syllable. "Seriously… _how does that happen?"_

Danny took a step forward, "We don't know."

"And the other question is, why weren't WE notified ASAP when it happened?! I mean, how does this happen?"

Danny took another step forward until he could put a supportive hand on his partner's shoulder.

"Look, buddy…I understand. Honestly, I do. But let me say…..respectfully….We need to _**focus**_. If Carl IS out, we need to find him. AND, while we do that, we need to protect Shauni and your babies."

"Already on it," Steve said. "Kamekona is at the house with her now and Nahale will be there later if this takes a while. I have units around the house as well."

The guys knew how Shauni was about having constant protection around her since they'd all dealt with it before. In short, she was not a fan of it.

Danny's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "She was okay with that?"

Steve's expression was grim. "What do _**you**_ think? You know how she is...but I didn't give her a choice. It was either that or I was taking them to her parent's house. She's more comfortable having Steven and Savannah at home right now, so the decision was made."

Steve looked at Jerry. "Any leads on where he might be?"

"Nothing yet, Commander. But I have found an alias he used at times. I'm searching that name as well as his given name to see if anything pops up."

Steve headed towards his office, "Keep me posted. In the meantime, Lou, I need you to call the hospital and find out how the hell this happened. Chin, check with the FBI and see why we weren't notified the minute they knew he was out. I want answers!"

Then he turned to Danny, "Danny, you and I are going to Derek and Olivia's house to tell them what's going on. I don't want them to find out about this over the phone…or God forbid, when the press finds out and starts non-stop coverage on it."

Everyone had their assignments and went to their offices to work on finding Carl Matthews.

********************h50*****************h50********************h50

Steve and Danny walked into the expansive kitchen at the Steele's house to find Olivia pulling something delicious smelling from the oven.

She gave them a warm smile followed by hugs once she'd put the cake pan onto the counter.

"What a nice surprise! What brings you by at this time of day?"

Steve kissed her cheek and smiled in return, although she noticed his smile was strained. "Is Derek here?"

Her smile faded as her eyes grew wary. "Yes. Is everything okay, honey? Is something wrong with Shauni?-Or Steven and Savannah?!"

Steve didn't answer directly. "I just need to talk to you and Derek please. It's important."

Olivia went to retrieve her husband and they returned hand in hand. Since Olivia had already alerted him that something must be wrong, he skipped his normal hug to his son-in-law and jumped right in to the matter at hand.

"What's wrong, son?"

Steve looked uncharacteristically nervous when he spoke. Danny noticed he was even wringing his hands which was a sure sign of how worried Steve was at the unexpected turn of events. "Carl Matthews has escaped."

Olivia gasped.

"What do you mean? How is that possible?" Derek's outrage mirrored Steve's initial reaction.

"That's what we're trying to find out." Danny answered.

"And what's worse is that it is entirely possible he's back on the island." Steve countered.

Derek's eyes turned dark. "Why would you say that? Has he already tried to hurt her?"

Steve sighed. "No…but Cappy heard something outside last night and woke me up. We went out to investigate and I saw movement in the side yard…..where we have the hammock…but by the time I made my way over there, the person was gone. I did find this, though." He reached into his shirt pocket and handed the note he'd found to Derek.

Derek and Olivia read it at the same time which sent Olivia's mothering instincts into overdrive.

"You need to bring her and the babies here. Right now!"

Steve knew this was coming, so he tried to keep his voice calm. "I know that's what you want, Olivia. And I can't deny that it would make ME feel much better too…..but Shauni is more comfortable at home with the babies right now."

Olivia balked, "Well, that is nonsense! You know we have a fully stocked nursery right here with everything the twins need and….."

"I know, you do," Steve interrupted, "…..but please believe me, after thinking about our options, I agree that it may be best for her to stay at home as long as we have protection there. If things get worse, I will make her come here until things are resolved. No questions asked."

When neither Derek nor Olivia answered he continued. "She's still recovering from having the twins, and even though my first thought was to bring them straight over here, I understand her need to be at home right now. I was thinking maybe you and Derek could just go over THERE instead."

"Of course," Derek said. "We'll go to her. You just find that son of a bitch and make sure he doesn't get near her again."

"One more thing," Steve said.

"Whatever you need, son" Derek answered.

"It's only a matter of time before the press is all over this."

That was all Steve needed to say for Derek to know what needed to be done. "I'll call John and let him know what's going on. His team will get a statement ready to release to the press when news gets out. We'll be ready for that."

Steve gave them both a hug, Danny shook hands…..and then got a hug from Olivia, before they left to get to work.

************h50******************h50**********************h50

Steve's phone rung and he looked to find his wife's picture on screen.

"Hello, beautiful," he answered.

"Don't 'hello beautiful' me, Steven John McGarrett!"

Steve smiled even though she sounded ticked off. He was used to the outbursts and she was so damn cute when she got mad. "What's wrong?" he asked.

"I have HPD outside of our house, Cappy at my heels, Kamekona cooking up a storm in my kitchen, and now my _**parents**_ are here?"

"Baby, calm down. It was either that or they were going to kidnap you and the twins and take you to their house. I saw the look in your mom's eyes…Trust me. It was inevitable."

Shauni sighed but her voice was somewhat calmer when she spoke again. "I suppose you're right. I just feel smothered."

He heard the pout in her voice.

"This will be over soon. Why don't you take advantage of your parents being there by letting them take over with the twins for a couple of hours so you can get a nap?"

"I don't need a nap," she snapped grouchily.

"Uh huh…..Okay…..So why are you so grouchy?"

"I am not grouchy," she snapped again before correcting herself and softening her tone. "Okay, maybe I am a little."

Jerry motioned for Steve to join him at the smart table. He nodded his head in understanding.

"Hang in there, babe. I'll be there as soon as I can. Get a nap, okay?"

"Okay…..but I wish you were here."

"I do too. Be there as soon as I can. I promise."

"And Steve?"

"Yeah?"

"Please don't let him get near Steven and Savannah…I mean, I don't know what I'd do if…"

"Stop," Steve said. "Don't even think about it. I'll find him. And when I do, he's going to pray he had just stayed where he was. He's not getting near you OR our babies. I promise."

"I love you."

"I love you, too."

Steve ended the call and looked out to find that Lou, Chin, and Danny had all joined Jerry at the table. They were waiting on him to join them.

"What did you find?" he asked Jerry as he emerged from his office.


	5. Chapter 5

"Carl Matthews apparently has an alias." Jerry answered. Steve rested a hand on the table and put his other on his badge as he looked at the screen in front of them.

"What do you mean? That's the first time we've ever heard he had one. "

"It appears to be a recent development," Chin said, "Probably something he acquired while he was at the mental hospital. It could also explain _how_ he's been able to go unnoticed. We're checking everywhere for 'Carl Matthews' when he's using a different name."

"Okay, so what name is he using?" Steve asked.

"Greg Irvin," Jerry answered. "But the only thing we've been able to find is that he purchased a plane ticket to Hawaii _with cash_ four days ago **and** somehow managed to a picture ID with that name," Jerry pulled the picture on screen.

Steve glared at the man who had terrorized and nearly killed his wife. He gritted his teeth in anger before speaking again. "An ID that was necessary for him to make it through airport security and board the plane. And since no one notified us 'Carl Matthews' had escaped, no BOLO was issued and he waltzed right onto the damn plane to make it here undetected."

"The son of a bitch is smart. I'll give him that." Lou piped in with his usual sarcasm.

"He can't be that smart if he's willing to go against **you** again, Boss" Kono said as she walked out of her office smirking and holding a tablet in her hands. She motioned for Jerry to step aside as she pulled what looked to be security pictures onto the screen.

"So, I was getting an old picture we had of him out to most of the major large hotels in the area to see if staff recognized him…..and we got lucky. These pictures are from the _ two days ago. They don't have a Carl Matthews registered as a guest, but as you can see, this is definitely him. Now that Jerry has found the alias and his new photo ID, I'll call them back to confirm."

Steve didn't waste a second. "Hold off on that," he told her. "We're going to let Jerry handle that. Jerry, I want you to call the hotel with the new information and have them tell us what room he's registered to."

"You got it," Jerry agreed.

"The rest of us are going to the hotel because we're going to have to canvas until we find him." Steve looked back at the screen as his voice turned dark, "And when we DO, I want it understood that _**I**_ get him."

Everyone shook their heads in somber agreement before heading out.

*****************h50******************h50******************h50

As the team exited HQ and headed towards their vehicles, Steve's phone rang. It was Shauni. Since they'd talked a few minutes earlier, he wondered what she could need again so quickly, but decided to make his greeting light-hearted. She was a new Momma and the last thing he wanted to do was cause her more stress.

"Hey…..Miss me already?" he joked as he smiled into the phone.

Shauni would normally come back with a flirty comment, but this time, she ignored it completely which was a sign something was amiss. "Have you heard from Sasha?"

"No, but your Mom said she was doing a job until around 5, and your dad sent a text telling her to call one of us ASAP or to come over to our house when she was through." (When he and Shauni were dating, Steve had learned that while the girls may wait a little while to respond to texts or voicemails from their mom, they rarely did so with their dad.)

"I knew something was wrong…..I mean we have this code and we've always stuck together as sisters. My God, I can't believe this…..Steve, I…" Shauni's voice cracked and Steve and Danny both heard the obvious panic in her voice.

Steve tried to keep his voice even as he interrupted her rambling. "Slow down, honey. Tell me what's going on."

Danny and Steve both shared a confused look waiting for her to reply.

"I just got a text from her a couple of minutes ago." Shauni sounded terrified and shaky.

"Well that's a good thing, right, hon?" Danny asked cautiously not wanting to upset her.

"No…..It's **not**. It's _**terrible**_! Something's wrong. You guys HAVE to find her!"

Steve said. "What makes you think she's in trouble? What did the text say?"

Shauni sighed and Steve and Danny both heard the tremor in her voice when she spoke again. "It said 'I'm okay, Sassy…..Just tied up at work. I'll be there with you and the babies ASAP. #4357"

Steve and Danny were even more confused. By this time, Lou, Chin, and Kono had joined them at the side of Steve's truck to listen in.

"Okay, so two questions," Steve began. "Tell me why she called you Sassy? Is that a nickname or something?" Steve would be the first to admit that Shauni had a sassy-streak a mile wide, but he'd never heard Sasha call her by that nickname which made him suspicious.

"It's a _**code**_ we started when we were in our late teens," she explained. "Having a famous dad can have it's perks, but it can also bring out weirdos…..as you know. So Sasha and I came up with the plan that if one of us was ever in trouble, we would text the other using nicknames. Mine was Sassy…Hers was Saucy. If we ever sent a text using the nickname, the other sister would know that there was trouble."

The entire team shared a look of concern. _This was not good._

"And what does the 4357 mean?" Danny asked.

They heard a sob escape from Shauni before she spoke. "4357 means 'Help!' If you look at the numbers on your phone with corresponding letters, 4-3-5-7 spells 'Help'."

Steve knew first and foremost that he needed to keep Shauni as calm as possible and not alert Derek or Olivia about the most recent developments. It would be better to keep everything as quiet as possible until his team could get things resoled.

Steve softened his voice. "Baby, listen to me…I need for you to stay calm. I know it's tough, but I need you to be strong for me. I promise you, we're going to handle this and we're going to make sure Sasha is okay, but I don't want you to let your parents know what's going on. They can kill me later when they find out we kept a secret…..but this is what we need in order for things not to get any more out of control. Okay? Can you do that for me?"

Shauni sniffed before squeaking out her reply, "Okay. Just take care of Sasha. Please don't let him hurt her."

"I'm not going to let anything happen to her. I promise. And like I told you before, this guys gonna wish he would've stayed safe and sound in the room he had two days ago by the time I'm finished with him."

Steve turned to Kono while keeping Shauni on speaker. "Kono, put a trace on Sasha's phone. If Carl has her, we need to know where they are."

Kono nodded her head in understanding and immediately put a call into Jerry who was upstairs to get a trace.

They all heard another sob escape from Shauni, "Steve…."

She sounded desperate and it broke Steve's heart. He swallowed the lump in his throat. "We'll get her, baby. Trust me…..I won't let you down."

Steve wished he was there to hold her until he could feel her calm down, but just the sound of his voice was enough for Shauni to feel a sense of peace fall over her..

"Can I meet you there?" Shauni asked even though she knew the answer.

Everyone in the Ohana shared an 'Are-You-KIDDING-me" look before Steve's calm demeaner changed entirely, "No! Absolutely not. The last thing we need is for both of you to be in his sights. We've got this. You stay with your parents, Kame, Steven and Savannah. I'll be home soon…and Sasha will be WITH me. Understand?"

Shauni didn't say anything.

"Shauni!" Steve repeated. "Do. You. Understand?! I swear to God, if you show up there….."

"She's my SISTER! And if he has her, it's only because of his obsession with **me**! How can you expect me not to help?!" Shauni pleaded.

Steve took a deep breath. "I understand that…..but having YOU show up is exactly what he wants. Having _one_ of you is not acceptable, so having _**both**_ of you is damn sure _**not**_ going to happen. I'll get her back, babe. I promise."

**************h50*******************h50******************h50

Jerry made quick work of tracing Carl's phone which lead them straight to Derek and Olivia's house. The fortunate thing about that was that Steve knew the house like the back of his hand. In fact, when the Steele's bought their new home in Hawaii during Shauni's pregnancy, Derek had tasked Steve with insuring security was up to par.

That didn't mean it would be easy to resolve everything, but it certainly tipped the scales in their favor.

Within twenty minutes, they were at their destination. Steve instructed them prior to arrival on how far back to park the vehicles to avoid detection from the security cameras. Using the bi-pass code he had created when the security system was installed, he disengaged the system although it would still show as "Active" inside the house. It was precaution that was set up in case a situation such as this one came up and the Steele's needed help.

Once the system was disarmed, he approached his team to form a plan.

"Alright, listen: The security system is disarmed even though it appears to be turned on in case Carl is smart enough to check."

"What about the cameras?" Kono asked.

"They are equipped to show what appears to be a 'live feed' even though the cameras are disabled as well. Unless he's watching the security cameras inside every second, he'll never know the difference."

Lou was impressed. "Damn. You thought of everything didn't you, Super SEAL?"

Steve grinned.

"So this is what we do," he continued. Since Kono was the sharp shooter of the team, he gave her instructions first: " It looks like he has Sasha in the family room at the back of the house and right by the lanai. Kono, I need you to get in position to take him out if it comes to that. Hopefully, we can take him alive, but we're not taking any chances. I want you ready if I give the word."

Kono shook her head in agreement.

"Chin, Lou, and Danny… Our first priority is making sure Sasha's okay. Then, we need to get him away from _her_ so we can get in and take him down. "

"Any idea how we do that without tipping him off?"

"Well, we know he's let her use her phone to take a call from Shauni. So, I'm going to try to call her and see if he'll let her answer. OR, maybe he'll answer it himself. Either way, he'll be pissed and hopefully distracted enough for us to get into position."

Fortunately, the entire team knew the layout of the property after having several backyard barbeques since the Steele's had taken residence there. They began to make their way towards the back and got ready to "strike". Within ten minutes, everyone was in position. They all had an audio feed into their earpieces as to what was being said inside, so they waited for word from Steve that it was time to move.

 _Carl had Sasha tied to a chair. "What the hell are you trying to accomplish?" she asked._

" _Shut up!" he said._

 _Sasha didn't follow directions which wasn't a surprise to Steve at all. If there was anything they'd leaned about the Steele sisters, it was that they would speak their mind no matter the consequences._

" _Seriously, Carl. What do you think is going to happen?"_

 _To her credit, her voice remained calm._

" _I'm going to get her back," he spat. "She is MINE…..and I'm going to get her back."_

 _Sasha chuckled. "From STEVE? Seriously, you really believe you have a chance in HELL getting near Shauni again with Steve in the picture? Geez, you're delusional!"_

 _Everyone waited in silence….and in shock over her statement….to see how Carl would react._

" _I'M DELUSIONAL?!" Carl screamed. "She is MINE! I will KILL that son of a bitch before he touches her again!"_

 _Danny looked towards Steve and saw the muscle of his jaw twitching._

 _This was going to get nasty._


	6. Chapter 6

**Carl is finally going down!**

 **Warning: Some strong language towards the end when Steve and Carl come face to face.**

 **Hope you enjoy!  
*******************h50*************h50*****************h50**

"He TOOK HER from ME," Carl continued. "She was mine before he came along and I'm going to get her back…..Then those babies will be mine and we will live happily together."

"Seriously?" Sasha's voice dripped with sarcasm. "You will never have her, Carl…..and those are _**their**_ babies. There is no way in hell Steve will ever let you get away with this."

Carl charged at her and smacked her across the face. "SHUT UP!" he screamed. "I WILL **have her!**! She is _**MINE…**_ …and we are destined to be together!" He rested his hands on the arms of the chair he had her secured to before leaning down to within inches of her face. "And when I get her, I am going to kill you before going after that 'SEAL' she thinks she's in love with."

*******************h50******************h50*****************h50

Steve couldn't take any more. It was taking every bit of strength he had to stop from storming in to the house and beating the living hell out of Carl Matthews.

He took the cell phone out of his pocket and called Sasha's number as everyone on the team listened in.

Carl heard the phone and looked at the caller ID. "Well speak of the devil," he said. Then he moved to put the phone up to Sasha's ear. "TALK TO HIM and tell him you need Shauni here."

Sasha's eyes were watering from the stinging on her cheek, but she refused to give in to his demands. If only she could think of a way out of this.

"Make it sound good, little sister, or I will kill you now." Carl spat.

He pushed the screen to put the call on "speaker" before lifting the phone closer to Sasha's mouth.

"Hey, Superman. What's up?"

"Hey…..Shauni thought you were coming over after work. Are you on your way? She's trying to plan dinner."

"I'll be there as soon as I can. I'm a little tied up right now." She shot Carl a look of disdain. He leaned down in front of her and mouthed the words, _Tell him…..Now!_

When Sasha gave him a "drop dead scumbag" look, he grabbed a handful of her hair and yanked her head back painfully. Steve tensed as he watched it happen from outside.

 _ **Tell him!**_ Carl mouthed again.

Sasha was defiant as ever. "Screw you!" she spat.

Knowing Carl was listening to their phone conversation, Steve feigned surprise. "What was that?"

"Nothing. Just…..uh…..just tell Shay I'll be there soon as I can."

They needed to buy some time or this was going to get bad real quick. Remembering the conversation he'd had with his wife earlier, Steve knew exactly how to do that.

"Are you at home?" he asked her.

"Yeah, but…"

"Listen, I'm only about 10 minutes away. I'm just gonna swing by and pick you up."

"Steve, I….I mean, I don't want you to…."

"I'll be there in ten, Saucy." Steve said before hanging up.

It took a couple of seconds to register, but then she tried to keep her face expressionless as sweet relief flooded through her. Steve must have talked to Shauni since he'd just used the 'code name'. Help was on the way!

Once Steve disconnected the call, Carl glared at Sasha, "You're a very naughty girl. I'm going to have to teach you a lesson. However, I suppose it may be easier this way. I'll take care of **him** before **you**. With both of you out of the picture, it will be easier to get my love."

 _ **Never gonna happen, psycho,**_ Sasha thought to herself.

**************h50***************h50*****************h50

They didn't have a minute to lose. Steve spoke into everyone's earpieces to give instructions.

"Kono, on my mark…..Be ready to take him down if necessary, but not with a kill shot unless there's no other way."

"Got it, Boss. I have him in my sights."

"Lou and Chin, Danny and I are going in through the back. You come in through the front. Hopefully, we can do this quick and easy. We need to get him secured and get Sasha out of here. Once she's out safely, he is **mine**."

There was no mistaking the venom in Steve's voice. The next few hours would most likely be very unpleasant for Carl Matthews.

"Okay…..we go on three….." Steve instructed.

All four men got into position moving closer to the house. On Steve's count, he and Danny moved through the patio door which Carl had been stupid enough to leave with only the screen closed. Carl barely had time to react before he heard the front door being kicked in and Lou and Chin followed suit.

Guns drawn, everyone moved slowly towards Carl.

"Well, what do we have here? Didn't realize you were bringing a party, McGarrett," Carl quipped.

"Sasha, you okay, darlin'?" Danny asked.

Her cheek was swollen and discolored from the hit Carl had given her. Her lip was bleeding as well. Still, she remained defiant. "I'm okay. Just ready to get away from this psycho."

Steve glared at Carl, "Don't move an inch or you're going down."

Carl noticed a "red light" appear on his chest which moved conspicuously down to rest on his groin. Steve almost laughed: If Kono had to take a shot, she was going to make sure it was unpleasant. For once, Carl had the good sense to remain still. Lou moved behind him and quickly had him handcuffed before pushing him roughly down onto the couch. Then he leaned down in his face.

"Now might be a good time for you to think of what you're going to say to get out of this alive." He said.

"You won't kill me," Carl argued. "You're COPS!"

Lou looked at Steve before turning back to Carl, "I wouldn't bet on that, if I were you."

Steve moved towards Sasha and quickly cut the zip ties securing her to the chair. Once she was free, she leapt into his arms and broke into sobs. Her body shook with the fear she'd held inside for the last couple of hours.

"Shhhhh, it's okay, honey. We've got you. You're safe now." Steve soothed as he held her tight and kissed the top of her head. Once she began to calm down, Steve continued to hold her as he spoke to Chin. "Get some ice for her cheek and get her out of here. You guys wait with her outside while Danny and I have a chat with Mr. Matthews."

Sasha was feeling stronger now that she was safe. "No," she protested. "I want to stay and watch you kick his sorry ass!"

"No," Steve said in his 'don't-argue-with-me' tone. "You're going with them, sweetie. We'll be out in a little while. Go…"

He gave her one more hug before letting her go. She obeyed and followed Lou and Chin outside.

Once they heard the front door shut, Steve moved in front of Carl and began removing his Kevlar vest. He threw it on the chair at his side before removing his thigh and shoulder holsters and doing the same.

Carl swallowed nervously. "What are you doing?" All traces of his previous bravado were gone from his voice.

"Removing everything that makes me a 'cop', so we can talk man-to-man," Steve said calmly. "It's up to you how easy this goes. Understand?"

Steve, Danny…..and even Carl…..knew there would be nothing 'easy' about what was going to happen in the next few minutes.

"Un-cuff him, Danny."

Danny pulled Carl up and unfastened his handcuffs before moving to the side.

Carl looked nervously from Danny to Steve but remained silent.

"Tell me why you're coming after my family," Steve demanded.

"She is **my** family," Carl said defiantly. "You took her from me and I will get her back. Shauni, Steven and Savannah are **mine**!"

Steve stepped towards Carl until he was only a breath away. He was several inches taller than Carl who, to his credit, didn't move when Steve invaded his "space". He kept his eyes forward and refused to look at Steve.

"They're mine," Steve growled. "And I will do _whatever I have to do_ to protect them. Do you understand me? Shauni is **mine** …and **we** made those babies. You will **never** take them away."

Carl couldn't hold in his rage. He let out a scream and lunged towards Steve. Both men went down but it only took seconds for Steve to gain the upper hand. Punch after punch fell on Carl's face before he was able to get a knee between them and push Steve off. His freedom was short lived however. Carl landed one hit to Steve's jaw before Steve grabbed his arm, turned him around and had his face planted against a nearby wall. Steve twisted the arm painfully further up Carl's back causing him to wince.

Steve leaned in menacingly, "Stay away from her or I promise I…..will… _ **kill you**_."

Carl quickly moved his head back hitting Steve in the nose and mouth. It wasn't easy to catch Steve McGarrett by surprise, but Carl had managed to do so in that one small move. Steve let go of Carl's arm to touch his nose and stepped back. It was all the space Carl needed to move to a nearby kitchen counter and pull a butcher knife from the knife stand. He lunged towards Steve once again slicing a gash into Steve's bicep. Both men started wrestling for the knife.

"Steve!" Kono shouted into the earpiece. "You're out of my sights! I can't see him."

Danny was there with his gun drawn however and waiting for an opportunity to take Carl out himself.

"Stand down!" Steve shouted to them both as he continued to struggle with Carl.

Lou, Chin, and Sasha all heard the struggle going on inside.

"You need to go help him!" Sasha screamed. "Carl's going to KILL him!"

Steve could hear her screaming in his ear.

"I said STAND DOWN!" Steve yelled again before gaining the upper hand. Carl had the knife dangerously close to Steve's throat as both men struggled for control. Then, in one quick move, Steve got the knife and plunged it into Carl's abdomen. Carl let out a scream of pain as Steve pushed him backwards, got on top of him, and held his arms in place so he could not move. The knife remained in Carl's stomach as he struggled in vain to get loose.

"Call paramedics," Steve said to Danny. "Tell them to get here quickly before I kill this son of a bitch."

Hearing it all outside, Sasha leapt out of Lou's SUV and ran into the house.

"Sasha, get back here!" she heard him yell but she continued until she was in the kitchen where Steve was straddled over Carl holding him in place.

She saw blood oozing down Steve's arm.

"Oh my God, you're bleeding!" she screamed and ran towards them.

"Sasha, stay BACK!" Danny demanded as he grabbed her by the arm and stopped her in her tracks.

"Correct me if I'm wrong," Steve began. "But did I…..or did I not….tell you to keep your ass in the car?"

"You did…I just decided not to listen!" She said defiantly. "You are HURT."

Steve shook his head. The Steele sisters were too much alike.

"It's just a scratch. I'm fine," he said. "Now get back outside!"

"No!" she folded her arms even though Danny kept hold of one of them and stood her ground.

It wasn't a battle Steve felt like fighting, so he let it go. Kono, Chin, and Lou had all made their way back into the house. Chin took over with Carl so that Steve could stand up and tend to his own wound. He decided it was probably best to distract Sasha, so he asked her to find him something to wrap up the nasty gash on his arm until paramedics could arrive. She ran into a bathroom and quickly returned with antibacterial cream and an Ace bandage to wrap his arm. By the time they had Steve's bleeding arm under control, they heard the sirens approaching. Within minutes, HPD units and the paramedics had arrived and taken over the scene.


	7. Chapter 7

**I know I know…..It's been FOREVER since an update. So sorry! I had surgery and have been in recovery the last couple of months.**

 **Plus, I had a bit of writers block on where to take this. Thank you AquaBaby_ for the idea on how to start this chapter off. It is what got me started…..and now I have an idea on where to take things before bringing it to a close. It will involve some soul searching for Steve and some encouragement and parental-type love from Derek and Olivia towards Steve (which we all know has been sorely missing from his life).**

 **This is gonna be fun. Hope you enjoy!  
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While the paramedics worked on getting Matthews ready for transport to the hospital, Steve heard a car come to a screeching halt outside. Seconds later, he heard the officer guarding the front door, "You can't go in, Mrs. McGarrett! The Commander has given instructions for you to stay outside if you showed up."

"Well, the Commander can kiss my ass. Now out of my way, Officer," Shauni said sweetly before pushing past him.

Steve couldn't help but roll his eyes. He also couldn't stop the smirk that crossed his mouth….and neither could Danny.

Damn, but he loved how this woman kept Steve on his toes.

Steve had anticipated Shauni showing up. If there was one thing he had learned since being in love with her it was that the Steele sisters were fiercely loyal to each other. His biggest fear had been for her to show up before they had things under control. Thankfully, that hadn't happened, and even though he predicted she would ignore his request for her to stay at home until it was all over, he was still frustrated that she hadn't listened to him…..again.

Steve turned towards her just as she walked into the room, "What are you doing here?" He cast frustrated glances between her and Sasha, "Do either of you **ever** listen?" Then he turned back to Shauni, "And how in the hell did you know if it was safe to come here or not?! I told you to stay **home**!"

Shauni would not be deterred however. Steve was resting against the back of the couch as she took his face in her hands and kissed him so thoroughly everyone in the room stopped to watch. When she pulled away, Steve looked more than a little dazed.

No doubt, Shauni's kisses did it to him every time.

"I had to know you were okay," she said as she gave him a little pout. "Please don't be mad at me."

Steve was used to her manipulations and tried to remain stoic…Tough as it was to do so when she looked so damn sexy. His brows creased. "You didn't answer my question, young lady: You could have walked right into something terrible. How did you know it was safe?"

Shauni had the decency to look legitimately guilty. "I may have sorta tricked Nahale into telling me what was going on."

Steve grimaced in confusion. "Nahale? How does HE even know what's going on? Tell me so I can kick his ass when we get home."

Shauni swatted his arm playfully and he tightened his hold around her. "You will do no such thing, Steve McGarrett!"

When Steve's expression remained serious, she sighed. "Okay fine…Here's what happened: I tried to take a nap like you said, but I couldn't sleep knowing that you, Sasha, and everyone else was in danger. When I finally got up, Mom and Dad were asleep in the nursery holding the twins."

She stopped and tried to figure out what to tell him next.

"Go on…" he said.

"So I went downstairs and heard Kame on the phone with Nahale. He said he needed to take care of something and that Nahale was on his way to stay with us. I couldn't get Kamekona to give any details, so after he left, I told Nahale to keep things quiet with Mom & Dad so I could check on you."

"So what is he supposed to do if your parents wake up and find you're not there?"

"He's going to tell them that I went to the store and am coming right back."

Steve shook his head, "He's not going to do that, you know."

"Sure he will…..He'll do it for **me."**

"No….he won't….because he knows better than to lie to me. He knows how much I hate it, so as much as he loves _you_ , he's not going to do that." Steve knew there was something she wasn't telling him, so he pressed her further. "What happened after you told him to lie to them?"

She sighed, "He told me I couldn't drive over here because you'd be pissed. Then, he slipped and said 'Even though things are okay. Steve wants you to stay home until he gets here.' So, I knew you were okay and it was safe to come over."

Tears filled her eyes and she threw her arms around him again, "Please don't be mad. I just had to see that you were all okay!" She felt some of the tension leave Steve's body as she held on to him with a fierceness that showed how scared she had been. Steve pulled her closer until they were interrupted by an HPD officer.

"Paramedics are ready to transport him, Commander." The look on the officer's face told Steve there was something else going on.

Steve gently pushed Shauni back so he could look at her. "Please stay _inside_ for a minute. I promise I'll be right back."

The last thing Shauni wanted was to see Carl Matthews again, so she agreed. Steve felt immense relief flood though his body when Shauni and Sasha both walked over to the couch voluntarily and sat down.

Steve still wanted to make sure they were watched. He looked towards Lou and Chin who had joined them back inside the house. "Don't let them out of your sight. No matter what. Got it?"

Lou was still feeling the blow to his ego having Sasha and Shauni both get past them to get into the house. "You have my word. They aren't getting past me again," he promised Steve.

Then turning towards the sisters, he said, "Keep your asses on that couch. You don't want to see my bad side."

Shauni and Sasha fought the urge to grin at his serious tone, but both wisely decided against it. To them, Lou was like a big ole teddy bear; Even though there was no doubt his size and attitude could be intimidating to criminals, they knew he would never hurt them.

However, as Shauni watched her husband follow the HPD officer outside behind the gurney holding her stalker, an overwhelming sense of guilt came over her. The anxiety she'd felt over her sister had caused her to trick Nahale…..essentially "sneak out" of the house…and **_leave_** her newborn babies with her parents who were oblivious to what was going on. Not to mention the fact she'd caused her husband….who was the love of her life…..undue stress by showing up when he'd asked her to **_trust_** him to handle it.

 _Why am I acting like a freaking teenager?_ She wondered.

"Lou?"

When Grover turned towards her, she offered what she hoped was a penitent smile. "I'm sorry. Really I am."

Lou couldn't help but grimace even though he felt his heart soften…..just like it always did with his own daughter when she gave him that 'look'. Shauni looked legitimately apologetic so he couldn't help but soften.

She stood up and took the three short steps towards him to give him a hug. "I didn't mean to scare y'all. I was just worried about Steve and Sasha."

Lou gave her a fierce hug in return. "It's okay, darlin'. I know you were worried." Keeping his hold on her, he released her far enough to look down to her face. "Listen, I can't tell you the times Renee came out to check on me when I told her I was 'fine'. Believe me when I say I understand your worry over him….But you also have to trust that that man would **_die_** before he let anything happen to any of you. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

The lump in Shauni's throat was so thick she couldn't even swallow. Her eyes filled with tears. "I know that…and that's part of what worried me. I don't want it to ever come to that….This was on **_me_**! Carl was here because of **_me_**!"

"That may be true," Lou agreed. "BUT, baby girl, you need to remember that your man is also a _bad ass_ ex-Navy **SEAL**. He's taken down terrorists for our country. No one like Carl Matthews is gonna be able to get the best of him. You gotta trust that…..You gotta trust **_him._** "

Danny shot a glance to Lou indicating how close things had come to Carl getting the upper hand with Steve, but neither one of them showed it. It had been a close call…Closer than any of them wanted to admit, but at least things had turned out okay and Shauni and Sasha were both safe again. Hopefully, having Carl in custody again would guarantee and actual prison sentence this time instead of time in a mental hospital.

Within a few minutes, Steve walked back in with a grim look on his face. All eyes turned to him before he made his way over to Shauni. He pulled her onto his lap on the couch with Sasha still sitting on the other side.

His voice was clipped and controlled. "So…..Carl Matthews is…. _dead._ "

No one said a word. Complete silence for a few minutes before Danny spoke up.

"You did what had to be done, buddy."

Shauni leaned into him and tightened her hold around his waist. Then Steve felt her started to shake with quiet sobs against him.

"I'm so sorry," she whispered. "I'm so sorry you had to do that, baby."

Sasha, in turn, also leaned over to put her head on her brother in law's shoulder.

"It couldn't be helped," Steve said although his voice was still controlled and emotionless. "I wasn't going to let him hurt Sasha….and I swear to God, he wasn't going to hurt you again."

"But…." Shauni began before Steve stopped her.

"Shhhhhh, we'll talk about it later. Right now, we need to get back home and check on our babies."

Before getting up off the couch to take Shauni and Sasha home, he looked at Danny. "Meet me back at HQ in two hours."

Danny didn't hesitate. "You got it."

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 _Two hours later…._

Steve walked in to their offices with a heavy heart. Danny could see the memories of what had happened weighing down on him as soon as Steve walked in. Lou, Chin, Kono, and Jerry were also all there. None of them had doubted the impact this would have on Steve, so they all wanted to be there to offer support.

Kono was the first to go up and offer a hug. "How are you? And how is everyone else?"

Steve shrugged. "It's hard to say. I mean, Sasha is in shock…..Shauni is upset but trying to be strong for our babies…Nahale practically broke down into tears as soon as we came home because he thought I was going to be pissed…and Derek and Olivia…"

His voice trailed off.

"Lemme guess…..They are mad about you keeping them out of the loop?" Danny said.

Steve seemed to shake himself out of his funk to look at Danny. "Actually, no. They took it much better than I thought. They were just relieved that everyone was okay."

After several minutes talking about what all had taken place during that afternoon, Steve told his team they could go home. Everyone agreed….except Danny. The two of them settled into his office and both grabbed a beer from the small fridge Steve kept in his office for occasions such as this. Then, he sat down at his desk to type up a report on the day's activities.

He was surprised to see that an incident report had already been started with many details filled in. He looked up at Danny.

Danny smiled, "I got here before you," he explained. "So since I was there with you the entire time, I knew I could do most of the report to save you some time. You just need to fill in the parts that ask for YOUR opinions and memories of what happened."

Steve was so relieved he could've hugged his partner. All he wanted was to get back home to his family and Danny had basically saved him an hour or two of work in order to allow him to do so.

"Thanks, buddy," was all Steve could manage to choke out.

Danny kept the moment light. "You're welcome…..but now you owe me, so just remember that."

They shared a laugh together before Steve buckled down to finish the report and go back home. The one thing burning in the back of his mind was his need to be back with Shauni and his sweet babies.

Getting over the fact that he'd killed Carl Matthews was another matter, but he would deal with it.

Eventually.

Danny had known Steve for a long time and could tell the weight bearing down on him at that moment. He may've been acting as if killing Carl Matthews was just a "day at the job", but Danny knew better. It had affected him on a deeper level. He wasn't sure why, but one thing he knew for sure: He would be there to help Steve get through it.

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End file.
